Jon Heyman reports that the Brewers and free agent outfielder Avisaíl García have agreed on a two-year, $20 million contract.
García, 28, spent the past season with the Rays after inking a one-year deal worth $3.5 million. He was about average, going by Baseball Reference’s Wins Above Replacement. He put up 2.0 WAR, exactly what an average player would produce. García hit .282/.332/.464 with 20 home runs, 72 RBI, 61 runs scored, and 10 stolen bases across 530 plate appearances.
García will handle left field for the Brewers, joining an outfield that features Lorenzo Cain in center and Christian Yelich in right. Despite that outfield, the Brewers still have a lot of work to do to return the roster to a highly competitive level, so the club is almost certainly not done tinkering this offseason.
Heyman points out that García actually turned down a three-year deal from the Brewers because the collective bargaining agreement expires after the 2021 season. García is hoping to have two good years, then get a better contract under a new CBA.